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Kevin Buist @kevinbuist.com ⋅ 1d
Ferric Fang @fangferric.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
Paul Lê @paulle.bsky.social ⋅ 2d
Rolling Stone @rollingstone.com ⋅ 2d
Blue sky nice guy @rajandelman.bsky.social ⋅ 12d
Maggie Westrum @maggiewestrum.bsky.social ⋅ 3d
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because fear is irrational
I was afraid of being bisected by flat surfaces for a long time (though tbf “sharp” things like pencils pointed at me still cause me some anxiety)
anyway uh, demystification!
I grew up in a very safe, suburban neighborhood, yet every day when I stood outside in the morning waiting for the school bus, I was afraid I’d be the victim of a drive by shooting.
For me it’s ladders. I’ve never fallen off one in my life, or even been in a close call with one.
I’m not even afraid of heights. I’ll gladly go up anywhere high if I can take the stairs. I just hate being on goddamn ladders.
I’ve overcome fear of the dark and fear of spiders, and both those have evolutionary value.
I’m still scared witless by sculptures or architecture that has or suggests big, round, staring eyes.
Maybe I’m one of the demons that those “evil eye” symbols are supposed to ward off.
Honestly, this one might be weird, but any time I walk between two pole-like objects, such as trees, I’m always afraid that someone has set fishing line at head level, just waiting to decapitate me. I’m kind of tall, so most people wouldn’t hit anything set for my neck.
That’s a perfectly rational thing to be afraid of!
Do an image search for “scissor arches wells cathedral” to see a place I would never enter willingly. For the rest of you, that’s an ingenious and beautiful solution to brace up the building after an earthquake weakened it. I see a monster staring at me from the chancel.
It really does suck when a ladder skates out from under you. People have been killed. As a house painter, I had one skate and drop me on a door by the ribs. And when I bounced off the door I fell on the ladder. The boss had told me not to go up that ladder until someone was there to foot it up.
I get that feeling for ladders. It was so amazing when we got a Little Giant adjustable ladder, those things are stable as heck and turned some terrifying jobs into cakewalks. The main one I remember is pruning the mulberry tree, which was on uneven ground with large roots complicating things further. I could easily dial the ladder to where I wanted to go rather than having one place to safely put it and needing to reach. One of those TV products that actually works.
As far as my own fears, it’s claustrophobia for me. Partially rational because I’m a large guy and have actually gotten stuck in some places, but even for closets I prefer to stay outside and reach in and caves are right out no matter how big they are.
I was afraid of Orcas for the longest time. It was actually sometimes triggered whenever I saw a shiny object with black&white colors.
oh dang, AnaChronistic, i had the exact same fear! does your reaction manifest physically?
It’s like, I don’t like sitting or standing where a flat surface continues, like what if it spontaneously somehow keeps going and splits me in half??
Somehow this fear didn’t extend to desktops, mostly walls.
For me it’s moths (I hate even saying the name). No real reason, I know any more I see around can’t hurt me (venomous creatures are rare in my country), I know they’re just flying dudes but they scare me so much. Something about the flying motion is just so gross and unnatural. Idk, it’s an annoying phobia
I’m afraid of moths too! I thought I was the only one. I have a theory it’s because, when I was little, my grandmother told me that moths eat sweaters, so I imagined what they could do to ME. But that horrible flapping, fluttering .. I can’t stand it.
Insects/spiders/works/etc. all fit into that category of “too easy to smear into unrecognizable paste” (even mice at least leave corpses), which for me ties into a tangental fear of nobody being able to tell that I died…
So thanks for reminding me about that!
I can understand that. Swarms of them are creepy as fuck. Swarms of anything are creepy as fuck.
Luckily, individual moths still look kinda cool to me, although I will kill the fuckers if they get into my apartment – they ate holes in some of my favourite clothes a few years ago :p
Me, I used to worry about forgetting I was The Girl and walking into the men’s washroom by mistake. Then it happened, was mildly embarassing, and… It didn’t bother me any more.
Elevators, all thanks to one that needed some WD-40 on the door, the sound of them grinding open is burned into my brain.
WD-40 is not a lubricant, it is a penetrating oil and water displacer.
Bees! I hate bees, Jock! I hate ‘em!
dang, missed the chance to link this instead of what I said!
Hell yeah, this friendship is already top-tier
I was gonna say the same thing. Sniping at each other like that has been a core tenant of some of my longest lasting friendships XD
Yes, but Sal’s not invested in you being scared of her. YOU KINDA NEED PEOPLE TO Not KNOW YOU’RE AG.
Especially since Sal can always remove the helmet. You can make people un-know about this Amber.
*can’t. Damn typos.
She could always have someone else wear the costume to throw people off. Joyce would probably jump at the opportunity to repay the person who caught Ryan.
Sal dons the costume once as a favor for Amber.
Billie: I KNEW IT
I mean, it SHOULD hold up for about two seconds once people compare the photos but that would require more competence than the police have shown thus far in this comic so sure, may as well.
Only I really really hope not because Sal is going to have a MUCH harder time getting the sort of acceptance and leniency the public’s shown Amber as AG. Joyce is probably the safer idea.
wait are they gay now
holy crap theyre gay now
Good. That makes it easier to shove Sal at Marcie and/or Carla fanfic wise.
Wait, having an excuse makes a tangible difference?
Not really, no, I’m just lazy and like it when things are easier.
Well, the alt text does say Amber wants to get Sal’s pants off.
That’s the way I read it.
It’s the internet. As far as the fandoms are concerned, EVERYONE is gay.
There is no friendship, only offscreen banging.
You can be gay friends and bang.
As far as
the fandomsLia47 is concerned,Oh there are friendships. But who is friends and who are banging changes from fan to fan.
‘Everyone’s a little gay’- Ron White
At most they’d be bi.
This is a Willis comic, gay is an inevitability.
[Shocked_Joyce_Face.png]
You mean this one
Look, I dunno… they kinda both look like dorks right now.
Speak for yourself. Appropriate safety equipment makes people look cool.
Ennh, if you say so. I’m more in the ‘coolness is overrated’ camp myself, is all.
Once you get to my age, coolness becomes a rare commodity.
“Look like.”
*looks for an only designer jeans jingle to play*
Oh come on! Rage Against the Machine, it’s right there in the first line.
There was a point early on in DoA where I had trouble remembering that Amber and Dorothy were distinct characters. When I did remember them both I forgot Joyce. So she’s got a degree of anonymity.
In her dorm room, Other Rachel sighs and deletes today’s mountain of fan emails from people who are convinced she is Amazi-Girl.
Dippy. . . Dippy? I have NEVER heard that used as a insult before. Also these two shall become the best of vitriolic best friends.
“Dippy” is an insult American girls have been using since the early ’60s when “dip shit” came into style. Girls in those days were too finicky to say “shit”, so they would call you a dip, and, by adjectification, “dippy.”
Ha! A use of adjectification in the wild. You made my day.
honestly, if I knew it wouldn’t fuck me over big time, I’d join a roller derby team.
is Amber’s line in the last panel what progress looks like?
Y’know, they are kinda having a mostly normal conversation. I think… I think this is what progress looks like!
YAY PROGRESS
Nice to see Sal and Amber interacting in a more-or-less positive manner snarking at each other.
I absolutely love Sal’s snarky smile.
And honestly, Amber, even leaving aside how dippy you yourself look in that helmet, dressing up as A-G doesn’t really give you any latitude for mocking how other people look. And yes, seeing as you starting out as integrated, it is fair to make fun of you for that.
This is friendship for them, so, woot.
I am hesitant to define this as progress, but also hesitant to define this as not-progress.
If scientific progress goes “boink”, what sound does social progress make?
“Moo”
Not sure, but paranormal investigations progress goes “zoinks”.
Honestly, more people knowing who Amber is will make Blaine’s return to the scene even more comically inept.
“LET ME TELL YOU…THE TRUTH ABOUT ‘AMAZI-GIRL’….”
“Yeah she’s Amber. We know. Please leave before we call security? You’re not supposed to be here.”
All I want is for Billie to call Sal AG in Amber’s hearing JUST ONCE.
An alternative version of Mada’s scenario, then:
[Most of the cast is gathered when Blaine appears]
Blaine: “Let me tell you all… the truth about Amazi-Girl…
Billie: “Yeah, she’s Sal, I’ve known for forever. What do you care?”
Everyone: *turns to stare att Billie*
Ruth: *snort laughs*
I imagine Amber falling about laughing.
Either that or ‘Oh, COME ON’.
Billie (to Ruth): What was that all about?
Ruth: Oh well I should be discreet, but those two like to, um, dress up at night and get into fights…
Billie: …Oh! You’re talking about “Amazi-Girl”? (snort)
Ruth: Oh you know about her?
Billie: Of course! How could I not, living in such proximity?
Ruth: … Yeah, I guess she couldn’t keep it secret forever.
Billie: And I practically grew up with her brother, of course.
Ruth: Oh really? That weird little kid?
Billie: … Well, he IS weird and immature, but …
Ruth: Are they even related? I thought he was her step-brother….
Billie: WHAT? C’mon, they’re TWINS!
Ruth: Oh give me a break, they don’t look that much alike ….
Billie (stares open-mouthed)
Don’t worry, Amber, I’m sure Danny has come up with some way to un-know.
Wait, Dorothy ratted her out? Not cool!
Dorothy ratted her out to Ruth to save Amber and Sal from themselves, and to get Ruth to cut them some slack.
That was why she told Ruth they were fighting I don’t see why she had to expose her being AG. She couldnget in real trouble and Dorothy owes her her life.
I believe Dorothy told Ruth about it so that she understood WHY it was important Amber and Sal not get in trouble with the school.
Sal, don’t take secret identities as something useless as in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Amber’s dad could have a lot of information about Amber that he could use to put her in jail. That bastard should burn in hell.
Blaine has one thumb drive confirmed* to be full of extremely naked dudes doing all sorts of sex at each other. That’s not illegal, at least in America.
*by me, just now
I never actually stopped to think about all the slashfics he’s reading through right now.
Sure, but that’s kinda her point – Amber’s identity isn’t very hard to uncover. The fact that is dangerous is what is making her lucky that she’s got a relatively generic appearance thus far.
Omg if they actually become friends, I will be so fucking happy
From Frenemies to Vitriolic friends maybe-
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/VitriolicBestBuds
You know after seeing that trailer for the fast and furious movie spin off about the two longtime enemies going on this buddy buddy cop Adventure, this strip kind of makes me wonder what it would look like if somebody made a parody trailer about it where these two where the two main characters.
Apparently MARCIE’s identity is secret … at least to Amber.
thats a hair-met
This is probably the first time that I’ve seen Amber and Sal interact like two teenage girls. To summarise:
“I think people find it unbelievable that a chubby girl like you is Amazi-Girl.”
“Yeah, well your safety gear is unbelievable and chubby!”
That’s not what Sal is saying. Sal’s saying that Amber is lucky that there are a million chubby, short white girls because it makes it easier for Amber to slide under the radar. She’s not calling it unbelievable – she’s saying nobody would bat an eye at Amber because AG and Amber don’t really have any unique characteristics that would make them stand out in a crowd. Or, in AG’s case, a police line up. Not like if she had, say, ridiculously long hair or a tattoo which is why SOME PEOPLE really should have worn SOMETHING to obscure those things, SAL.
Sal’s not wrong about the default part. AmaziGirl could’ve easily been Rose or Other Rachel or even Dorothy with padding.
Ahhh….Twu Fwiends
Possibly setting up to be sisters-in-law.
I’m pretty sure Billie doesn’t know.
Glad to see Amber and Sal are getting along.
Well for starters, Daisy doesn’t know or she’d be after Amber for her number.
The hover-text has me intrigued, I would be tall for these two have a good friendship where they’re just constantly Punking each other.
I’m sort of thinking that Billie will worry that Amber and Sal are arguing. Ruth will reply as dryly as possible: “I’m pretty sure that they’re just bickering. I’m told that stuff like that is common in a healthy personal connection but I have no personal experience of that.”
Sarcastic sidekiiiiicks
Hey, new word. Thanks, Willis.
Imagine an alternate universe where Amber pantsed Sal instead of stabbing her, but the trauma was the same on both sides. Sal was wounded emotionally instead of physically by the humiliation of the incident. It’s a whole big thing.